Abstract
Ageism in media and society has increased sharply during the Covid-19-crisis, with expected negative consequences for the health and well-being of older adults. The current study investigates whether perceived ageism during the crisis longitudinally affects how people perceive their own aging. In June 2020, N = 611 older adults from Luxembourg [aged 60–98 years, Mage(SD) = 69.92(6.97)] participated in a survey on their perception of the crisis. In October 2020, N = 523 participated in a second measurement occasion. Participants reported on perceived ageism during the crisis in different domains, their self-perceptions of aging and subjective age. In latent longitudinal regression models, we predicted views on aging at T2 with perceived ageism at T1, while controlling for baseline views on aging and covariates. Perceived ageism at T1 increased self-perceptions of aging as social loss and yielded a trend for physical decline, while there were no effects on subjective age and self-perceptions of aging as continued growth. Views on aging are powerful predictors of well-being and health outcomes in later life. Our data suggest that being the target of ageism during the crisis negatively affects older adults' self-perceptions of aging and this impact may be felt beyond the current crisis.
Highlights
During the Covid-19 pandemic, being of higher age places people at higher risk for intensive care treatment and mortality [as do other risk factors, such as obesity or being male, [1]] when infected with Sars-Cov-2
Perceived ageism was significantly related to self-perceptions of aging as social loss and physical decline, whereas there was no relation to continued growth and subjective age
This was mirrored in the results of the latent longitudinal analyses (Table 2): More perceived ageism at the first time-point was related to an increase in self-perceptions of aging as social loss
Summary
During the Covid-19 pandemic, being of higher age places people at higher risk for intensive care treatment and mortality [as do other risk factors, such as obesity or being male, [1]] when infected with Sars-Cov-2. Ageism, which is defined as “stereotypes, prejudice, or discrimination against (and in favor of) people because of their chronological age” [4], can be displayed at different levels, within individuals, organizations, and cultures. It can take different forms, such as for example benevolent ageism (e.g., offering and insisting on unwanted help) and more hostile forms, such as refusing older people healthcare because of their age [e.g., [5, 6]]. The experience of objective instances of ageism, and the perception thereof represents a risk for the positive development of older people [cf. [9]]
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